Insect-catcher.



B'. ATTAWAY.

INSBCT GATGHBR.

LPLIOATION FILED APB.. 27,1909.

Witwe/oom INSEOT OATGHER.

APPLICATION FILED PLM-1909.

Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' yW/W/ E. ATTAWAY..

INSECT CA'IGHER.v APPLICATION FILED APR. 27. 1909.

940, 1 1 6. Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

SHEETS-SHEET a,

HIHIIIHE E. ATTAWAY.

INSEGT GATGHER.

,APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1909.

Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

ELISHA ATTAWAY, OF IVIORROW, LOUISIANA.

INSECT-CATCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

Application led April 217, 1909. Serial No. 492,483.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ELIsHA ATTAWAY, citizen of the United States,residing at Morrow, in the parish of St. Landry and State of Louisiana,have invented new and useful Improvements in Insect-Catchers, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention has relation to insect catchers; and it contemplates theprovision of an apparatus devised with a view of efiiciently clearing`cotton plants of boll weevils, and of taking advantage of the instinctof weevils to hide in the ground to trap the same, and the latter insuch manner thatJ the weevils may be readily gathered at the end of asuitable period and expeditiously and easily destroyed.

The invention also contemplates the provision of an apparatus for thepurpose stated, embodying such a construction that it may be readilydisassembled and stored in a small space, and as readily reassembledwhen it is desired to put it in use.

Other advantageous characteristics peculiar to my invention will befully understood from the following description and claims when the sameare read in connection with the drawings, accompanying and forming partof this speciiication, in which:

Figure l is a rear end elevation of the apparatus constituting the bestpractical embodiment of my invention of which I am cognizant. Fig. 2 isa plan View of the same, showing, however, but one of the catchingdevices. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section, taken in the planeindicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. l, looking in the direction indicatedby the arrow. Fig. t is a side elevation of the apparatus on a reducedscale. Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section taken through one of thetraps and its appurtenances in the plane indicated by the line 5 5 ofFig. 7 Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 7, and:Fig. 7 is a plan view of one of the traps and the appurtenances thereof.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views of thedrawings, referring to which:

A is the main frame of my novel appara tus. The said frame comprises alongitudinal bar a having runners whereby it is adapted to travel alongthe ground between rows of cotton plants, Fig. l, and also having aclevis 0 for the attachment of a draft animal, rear and forward uprightsZ and e,

main frame A is a sub-frame disposed hori-n zontally as shown andextending at opposite sides of the vertical plane of the longitudinalbar a and uprights d and c. The said sub-frame is made up of alongitudinal cen tral bar z' adapted to be arranged in the notches ofthe uprights Z and e, and having notches in its underside to receive thebottom walls of the notches in the uprights, and also having notches jin its ends, fore and aft cross-bars /c fixed on the bar z', and bracesZ and m, arranged as best shown in Fig. 2; the braces m being preferablyof wire.

BB are hooks, the Shanks of which are fixed to the uprights d and e andare adapted lto rest in the notches j of the sub-frame and extend abovethe bars 7c of said sub-frame. C C are bail-shaped catches pivoted tothe bar z' of the sub-frame, and D D are links having eyes to receivethe hooks B and also` having end portions adapted to rest in and be heldby the catches C. l/Vhen the catches C are swung out of engagement withthe links D, the eyes of the links may be disengaged from the hooks B,and then the subframe as a whole may be lifted off the uprights ci and eof the main frame, this in order to permit of the main frame and thesub-frame being stored side by side in a small space. lt will also bemainfest that when it is desired to put the apparatus into use, thesub-frame may be readily superposed on the uprights l and e of the mainframe, and securely connected thereto in a fixed manner by placing theeyes of the links D in engagement with the hooks B, and arranging theinner ends of the links in the catches C.

Carried by the horizontal sub-frame and arranged longitudinally of theapparatus and at opposite sides of the main frame A so as tosimultaneously act on two parallel rows of cotton plants, after themanner illustrated in Fig. l, are the two devices for clearing fixed tothe longitudinal bar a and the plants of boll weevils, and trapping theboll weevils when the same fall from the plants. The said devices andtheir appurtenances are identical in construction and therefore adetailed description of the one shown at the right of Figs. l and 2 andin Figs. 3 to 7, will suflice to impart a definite understanding ofboth. The stipulated device will, by

reference to the figures and portions of" figures mentioned, beunderstood as comprising traps E arranged longitudinally at oppositesides of a row of cotton plants, receiving plates F, preferably ofsheet-metal, extending upwardly and outwardly, with reference to thetraps, and corresponding in length to the latter, strips G, preferablyof wood, interposed between and fiXedly connected to the inner portionsof the receiving plates F and the outer portions of the traps E, andeach having two oblong apertures n and p in its rear portion and asimilar aperture r in its forward portion, agitators H arranged abovethe receiving plates F and connected with the horizontal sub-frame,hangers I connected with the traps and the horizontal sub-frame, and aconnection J intermediate the rear hanger I and the forward portion ofthe sub-frame. Each of the traps E has a hollow body s in the upper wallof which is a plurality of apertures z5 and from which extends aninwardly and upwardly directed flange u. The outer side wall of the trapbody s is preferably foraminous, as shown, in order to admit light tothe interior of the body, and in the rear end wall of the hollow body isan openin'g I controlled by a gate u and designed to enable the operatorof the apparatus to dump the collected boll weevils from the hollow bodyinto a rear receptacle fw carried by the trap and arranged in the rearportion thereof. When massed in the said receptacles fw of the traps E,the weevils may obviously be destroyed with ease and despatch. I wouldalso have it understood that while the weevils will pass downwardlythrough the openings t, and into the trap bodies, they cannot passupwardly through said apertures and in that way escape. This latter isdue to the fact that surrounding the openings t are depending portionsof metal, Fig. 5, formed when the openings t are punched in the topwalls of the trap bodies s. The ends of the hangers I, which arepreferably of wire, are shaped as shown, that is to say, they areadapted to pass through the oblong apertures in the wood strips Gr, andthen be turned so that their angularly disposed terminals are directedupwardly. This will preclude casual disconnection of the strips G andtraps E from the hangers, and yet by arranging the hangers in positionsat right angles to those illustrated, the angular terminals of thehangers may be drawn outwardly through the oblong apertures in the orderto meet different conditions.

strips Gr, this when the apparatus is to be disassembled. I would alsohave it understoodat this point that by placing the end portions of therear hanger I in the apertures 29 instead of the rear apertures n, thetraps can be held in a raised position, this in At their upper ends thehangers I are looped, as indicated by y, and the said loops y areconnected to hooks K which rest on and are adapted to be adjustedlaterally on the bars ,7c of the sub-frame. The lateral adjustment ofthe hooks K on the transverse bars 7c perniits of the device beingarranged at diiferent distances from the upright portion of the mainframe A, and I would have it understood that any suitable means such aspins a may be employed for ing the hooks K bars 70. Because of theadjustability of the hooks K, the devices at opposite sides of the mainframe A may obviously be-accom1no adjustably fix-V at the desired pointson ther dated to rows of cotton plants disposed at- Y' differentdistances apart.

The receiving plates F, as implied by their name, have for their purposeto receive the weevils that drop from the plants, and to deflect theweevils to the top walls of thetrap bodies. It is well known to thoseversed in the traits of boll weevils that when disturbed or agitatedthey drop to the ground and seek holes in which to hide temporarily. Myimproved apparatus takes ad vantage of this instinct of the insects, forit will be readily understood that when they are deposited by the platesF on the tops of the traps, they will immediately pass through theopenings t of the traps` The connection J hereinbefore referred to,comprises a yoke b2, preferably of wire, connected to the forward hookK, and cables c2 interposed between and connecting the ends of the yokeand the depending portions of the rear hanger I. The said connectionserves in the event of the traps E striking an obstruction, to pull thetraps ahead and prevent lagging thereof. It will also be noted thatbecause of the connection J the traps do not tend to climb up on thecotton plants, and when the traps encounter cotton plants a little outof line in the row, the hangers I will spring outwardly, and theconnection J will-cause the traps to properly pass at opposite sides ofsuch plants.

L is a longitudinal bar, preferably of w'ood, having its ends notched,as indicated by c3, so as to straddle the loops y of the hangers I andbear on the upper portions of the said hangers. At opposite sides and atintermediate points of its length, the said bar L is provided withstaples cl2. With these staples Z2 are detachably connected the innerends of links c2, fixedly connected with the wood framework of eachagitator H. In addition to the said framework f2 and IGC lli

links 62, the agita tois H respectively comprise a shield g2, of textileor other suitable material, arranged at and connected to the outer sideof the frame, and having` for its office to prevent weevils escapinglaterally from the device, and tangs h2 extending inwardly and slightlyrearwardly from the uprights of the frame f2 and designed to pass intoand through the spaces between the branches of the cotton plants with aview of disturbing the branches and the boll weevils and to cause theweevils to drop from the plants. Vhen desired the agitators H may beprovided with hooks 2 on the outer side's of their shields g2; the saidhooks being designed when the cotton is large to receive weights (notshown), which weights are employed on the agitators when the cotton islarge, in order to prevent undue outward movement of the agitators or,in other words, to hold the same yieldingly to their work. The tangs h2are directed or inclined rearwardly, as before stated, in order tolessen the liability of the said tangs catching into and injuring theplants. At this point attention is directed to the fact that the bars Lof the devices at opposite sides of the main frame A are adapted to bereadily disconnected from the loops y of the hangers 1; also that thehangers I and the hooks K may be readily disconnected from thehorizontal sub-frame, and the agitators H may be readily disconnectedfrom the bars L, all in order that when not in use the apparatus in itsdisassembled state may be packed in a small space for storage orshipment.

Defiectors M, Fig. 2, may, when deemed expedient, be connected to theforward ends of the agitator frames f2 and the forward ends of theshields g2, so as to facilitate the passage of the agitators H atopposite sides of a plant.

1tis thought that the operation of my novel apparatus will be fullyunderstood from the foregoing, and therefore it is deemed unnecessary toreiterate the same except to say that the main frame A is drawn betweentwo rows of cotton plants, and is properly held and guided en route,while the devices suspended from the horizontal sub-frame aresimultaneously acting upon plants in rows at opposite sides of the mainframe A in the manner and for the purpose described.

1n addition to the practical advantages hereinbefore ascribed to mynovel apparatus, it will be noted that the apparatus as a whole issimple and inexpensive in construction and is well adapted to withstandthe usage to which apparatus of corresponding character is ordinarilysubjected.

As before stated, the construction herein illustrated and describedconstitutes the best practical embodiment of my invention that i@ LA) 1have up to this time devised, but it is obvious that in the futurepractice of the invention changes in the form, construction and relativearrangement of parts may be made without affecting my invention,provided such changes do not involve departures from the scope of myinvention as defined in the claims appended.

Having described my invention, what 1 claim and desire to secure byLetters-Patent, is:

1. The combination in an insect catcher, of carrying' means movableabove a row of plants, agitators connected with and arranged below thecarrying means and movable through portions of the plants at oppositesides of the row, traps disposed below the said agitators and havinginwardly and upwardly extending flanges, receiving plates connected toand extending outwardly and upwardly relative to the traps, portionsinterposed between the traps and the receiving plates and'havingtransversely disposed oblong apertures, and hangers detachably connectedwith the carrying means and having portions extending through the saidoblong apertures and terminating in angularly disposed portions which inone position of the hangers are adapted to be withdrawn through theoblong apertures.

2. An insect catching apparatus comprising a main frame movablelongitudinally between two rows of plants, a sub-frame superposed on themain frame and adapted to overhang the rows of plants, and catchingdevices each connected with and depending from an overhanging portion ofthe subframe and respectively comprising agitators, and traps disposedbelow the agitators.

3. An insect catching apparatus comprising a main frame movablelongitudinally between two rows of plants, a sub-frame superposed on anddetachably connected with the main frame and adapted to overhang therows of plants, hangers detachably connected with the overhangingportions of the subframe, longitudinal bars supported by and detachablyconnected with the hangers, agitators detachably connected with anddepending from the said longitudinal bars and adapted to move atopposite sides of the rows of plants and having means movable throughportions of the plants, and traps disposed below the agitators anddetachably connected with the hangers.

t. An insect catching apparatus comprising a main frame movablelongitudinally between two rows of plants, a sub-frame superposed on anddetachably connected with the main frame and adapted to overhang therows of plants, fore and aft hangers detachably connected with theoverhanging portions of the sub-frame, longitudinal bars supported byand detachably connected with the fore and aft hangers, agitatorsdetachably connected with and depending from the said longitudinal barsand adapted to move at opposite sides of the rows of plants and havingmeans movable through portions of the plants and also having shieldsarranged outside said means, traps disposed below the agitators anddetaohably connected with the hangers and having inwardly and upwardlyinclined flanges, receiving plates connected to and extending outwardlyfrom the traps and resting on the hangers, and a connection between theforward portions of the subframe and the rear hangers.

5. The combination of two opposed frame portions interloclred with eachother; one of said fra-me portions having a bifurcated end extendingbeyond the other frame portion, a pivoted bail-shaped catch on saidbifurclted frame portion, a hook connected to the other frame portionand adapted to extend through the said bifurcation, having an eyeremovably arranged on the hook and adapted to be removably secured inthe bail-shaped catch.

In testimony whereof I have .hereunto set and a. removable linky my handin presence of two subscribing witf y nesses. n

ELISHA ATTAWAY.

Witnesses CHARLIE NEAL, L. R. BLUM.

